


Swan Song

by StarrySerenades



Category: Disney Cartoons (Classic)
Genre: AU, Chose not to use archive warnings for reasons, Dragons, F/M, Fantasy, but I also promise this is a clean story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-06
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24034780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarrySerenades/pseuds/StarrySerenades
Summary: “A swan only sings when it knows its time has come.  How wonderful must it be…to be so sure of one’s destiny that a cry for help is foregone by a voice lifted in song?”
Relationships: Mickey Mouse/Minnie Mouse
Comments: 11
Kudos: 16





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is a concept/AU I’ve been developing for a little while now and at long last managed to think up a plot I was satisfied with. I finally have an outline written for all 15 chapters, and have sort of “pitched” it to some friends already, so I’m really excited to put it out there. I’ve put a lot of thought into it so I’m hoping it’s well received. However, I’m also sort of using this to try to get comfortable with writing for my own pleasure, so expect it to be very imperfect. 
> 
> I will also be posting a sort of "vocabulary list" later that will include a list of some of the key elements mentioned and their descriptions as listed in the story, to be updated as the story progresses. No, it’s probably not necessary, but my hope is that this makes it easy to keep up with things that are mentioned throughout the different chapters. I may also include a list of characters and their descriptions as they are introduced. 
> 
> Thank you to anyone who reads this, and especially to those who support more through kudos, bookmarking, or commenting! Feedback is GREATLY appreciated! <3

Long ago, there was a terrible war between a force called the Great Darkness, and a people known as the Plumes. The Plumes were a regal, gracious people whose greatest strength rested in their powerful wings. But they knew nothing of magic, and the Darkness used forces they did not understand. Recognizing their kingdom would soon fall, the leaders of the Plumes, the Swans, sought help from their neighboring allies, the Dragons.

The Dragons were esteemed sorcerers whose magic was unparalleled. However, despite their strength they were gentle, kind, and used their powers to help all in need. Finding the Swans to be loving and honorable, they agreed to join the war. Together they prevailed, and the Darkness was imprisoned for a thousand years. 

But the Dragons, ever prudent in their plans, knew the thousand years would quickly pass and both the Dragons and Plumes would be endangered once more. So as a gift to the Swans and to ensure the safety of both kingdoms, the strongest Dragons pooled their magic together and cast a powerful spell, stating that when their most desperate hour was at hand a Swan bearing the Dragons’ Crest would be born with the power to summon a Guardian that could eliminate the Darkness once and for all. This gift became known as the Swan Song.

The two kingdoms lived in harmony for many years. But as time passed, so did the benevolent Swans. Their descendants became prideful and cruel, and began to contemplate how they might overcome the Dragons’ kingdom. One prince found the answer in the discovery of an enchanted mirror which granted him forbidden knowledge. It revealed to him the existence of an ancient Dragon spell—the Dragon’s Kiss. A heavily guarded secret within the Dragon kingdom, this spell rested within the first kiss of a Dragon and had the power to grant any being near eternal life, that they might live out their days by the Dragon’s side.

But the prince had a much darker intent. He devised a wicked plan to steal such a kiss, and to render the Dragons defenseless. Feigning love for a Dragon princess, he hosted a grand banquet to commemorate their marriage and invited many of the most powerful Dragons to attend. But following the kiss between prince and princess, the prince’s true intentions were revealed. He killed the princess where she stood and in the resulting chaos, his own guests emerged as warriors in disguise. The Dragons, weakened by a spell the prince had learned from the mirror, hardly stood a chance. One by one they were cut down, until all but the princess’s own father remained. With his dying breath he bestowed two curses—one on the prince alone, that he would spend the rest of his days despised by all creatures, and the other on the very gift that had been granted the Swans so long ago—the Swan Song. Though the spell itself could no longer be withdrawn, he declared that the Swan destined to wield its power would perish by sunset on the day the spell was cast.

The prince payed little mind to these curses and eagerly sought out his family’s praise for achieving what they had wanted. But, bound by the curse, their hearts were filled with only hatred for their son, and they immediately ordered him to be cast out of their kingdom and exiled forevermore. But even as he was dragged from the throne he so desperately wanted, he vowed to one day return and take the kingdom for himself.

As for the Dragons, the damage had been done. The Swans took what the prince had started and magnified it tenfold. Word was sent throughout the kingdom that the Dragons themselves had been the source of the Great Darkness, and were planning to overthrow the kingdom. The Royal Army was dispatched to hunt the Dragons down and slay them, as well as anyone aiding in their escape, on sight. 

Centuries passed and it was long believed the Dragons had been wiped out in the massacre now known as “The Trial by Fire.” The Swans stopped searching and the Plumes, whose memories of the Great Darkness had been blurred by time, believed the threat had been eliminated with the Dragon’s extinction. For a time, peace returned. 

However, twenty years before the one thousandth year in which the Great Darkness was said to return, a Swan princess was born bearing the Dragons’ Crest. The king and queen were horrified and, fearing their child would be forced to use the Swan Song and perish if the prophecy was fulfilled, rekindled the hunt for the one they called “The Last Dragon.”

But as the princess neared her twentieth birthday, this Dragon had not yet been found. The forces of the prophecy began to stir, and a dark power from ancient times prepared to rear its head.


	2. Pride Cometh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Evil rears its head in the wake of a grand ball, and a princess is left with an important decision. Remain, and watch her kingdom fall. Or flee, and find a way to pick up the pieces.

Minnie watched the sun set on the horizon and sighed. The wind whispered around her, jingling the charm pinned beside her ear and tossing the silk layers of her dress around her ankles. Their colors matched that of the sky—soft orange and a blossoming pink which, in turn, could be found on her flushed cheeks. The sea sparkled and she leaned out from her perch to catch the rays of light leaping off the border of ocean and sky. She stood slowly, carefully unfolding her wings to catch just enough air to hold her steady. She relished the feeling of the wind sweeping through her feathers, catching in the pockets she’d created within them. With a gentle lift of her heels, the mouse leaned into that wind and closed her eyes, breathing in the salty air as it told her what she needed to know.

“ _Perfect,_ ” she whispered under her breath, and opened her eyes.

Her wings expanded just slightly, and she let herself fall forward off the edge of the merlon before drawing them beside her. The world blurred as wind rushed on all sides, howling in her ears but also, in what had grown to become Minnie’s favorite moment in flight, prompting every other sound to become mute. 

Soft mist encompassed her body and only then did she let her feathers fully spread. Droplets rolled off the wings that held her suspended in the sky, then scattered in a spiral of glistening dew as she brought them down in a heavy beat. The ocean water bent and rippled beneath their force. Minnie grinned, squinting against the spray as she shot back up into the air. Her feathers were now the only remnant of sunset shades and, spread to their farthest reach, silvery starlight lay shimmering across them. It seemed as though a constellation had been plucked from the sky and placed upon her plumage.

The currents were playing to her every whim tonight and she laughed, reveling in their sweeping dance, the muscles in her back straining with every stroke of her feathers. But she hadn’t forgotten why she’d come. A moonlit glint in the shallows below caught her eye and, face gleaming with excitement, she dipped into a downward draft to get a closer look. 

The light flickered and Minnie spotted a faint splash just before it faded, all she needed to reassure her she wasn’t mistaken. 

“Thank you!” she called with a cheerful wave, though unsure it could be seen. A shining full moon and countless stars served as her lamplight as she circled the sea, narrowing in on her target until she was certain it was just beneath her. Then, bridging her wingtips above her head, she took a deep breath and spiraled downwards. Unlike before she had no intention of spreading them again before reaching the waves. Instead, bracing herself against the impact and chill, she cut straight through. This used to be terrifying to her, but several years of practice had strengthened her resolve and she thrived on this adrenaline now, and on the momentary taste of a world different than her own.

Her feathers alerted her of the ocean floor just before she collided with it and, arching her back, she brought her wings to her sides with a powerful sweep, propelling her through the water. She opened her eyes, squinting through the aquatic blur just long enough to spot a small pouch. That was what she was here for. She reached out her hand for just a moment and snatched it off the sand as she shot by, then immediately angled herself upwards and launched off the seabed.

Water scattered like glass from a broken mirror. Minnie surfaced with a gasp for air but didn’t take a moment to rest, instead attempting to bring her wings up along with her before the momentum from her push was lost. But fighting the water and the downward force as she rose was no easy task and when her wings finally broke surface, it was nowhere near as graceful as she intended it to be. They emerged just moments apart but that was more than enough to throw her off completely, carrying her only a few inches out of the sea before she lost her balance and fell back in.

She surfaced again a short second later, wings floundering behind her as she coughed and sputtered in a fruitless attempt to rid her mouth of the bitter taste of seawater. By the time she’d managed to steady her wings enough to tread water, shrill laughter echoed beside her and Minnie rolled her eyes, stifling a grin as she looked to the source.

“So _that’s_ what a drowning Swan looks like!” Daisy laughed, holding it together as best she could which, as per usual, was not very much at all. The dolphin by her side, with whom she could rarely be found without, expressed its own amusement as it chirped alongside her.

“Oh, hush!” Minnie shot back, splashing both with one of her wings. But the duck only dodged, disappearing under the waves with a flick of her fin and quickly surfacing again on Minnie’s other side where she, of course, continued laughing despite Minnie’s protests, “The dive was the best so far!”

“Hmmm,” Daisy smirked, wading thoughtfully near her friend. “You know what? I don’t think you deserve this!” She snatched the pouch out of Minnie’s hand and, tail sparkling as she dove underwater, darted towards shore. 

Minnie gasped, face flushed in mock offense, before she cast an exasperated glance towards the dolphin Daisy had left behind. “Care to give me a lift?” she asked and could have sworn she heard it chortle. 

Daisy, despite her frequent mischief and teasing, was the closest thing Minnie had to a sister. In a sense, the two were different as night and day. Daisy was flippant and carefree, spending most of her days frolicking about the waves or scouting the coast for handsome passersby. Minnie, however, preferred to take the course of logic and reason, and had found Daisy’s pastimes to be pointless and crude at first. 

But both had an irrefutable desire for freedom which had ultimately been the force that drove them together. They shared the role of royalty within their realms—Minnie as the Swan princess of the Plumes and Daisy as heir to the Bettas, the majestic merfolk residing within the rivers and oceans of the Swans’ kingdom—and loathed the chains of responsibility this had placed upon them. It seemed only fitting that their first meeting had been an attempt of both to escape their way of life. Yet it was that same chance encounter which had, ironically, given each of them the strength they needed to return home, knowing for the first time that they weren’t alone in their trials. Their friendship only grew from there, until there was hardly a day they didn’t meet. 

By the time Minnie arrived at the shoreline Daisy was already wading her way out of the shallows. Minnie had always been in awe of the Bettas’ transformations, and Daisy’s was no exception. Her scales melted into the water in a swirl of velvet blue and seafoam green, a pair of legs appearing where the tail had been. She unhooked a shelled pin on either side of her bodice as the change took place and a skirt of skillfully woven kelp unraveled to her ankles. 

Minnie’s journey towards shore was not quite as graceful. She thanked the dolphin and trudged through the undertow, waterlogged wings dragging behind her. Sand coated her fur and she knew even without looking how disheveled it must look. Sure enough, Daisy confirmed her suspicions when the duck looked over her shoulder and burst into laughter once again.

“Oh, sweetie, maybe you should stick to flying from now on!”

Minnie scooped up a handful of sand and threw it her way. “You say that every time, Daisy.” 

Daisy laughed and brushed off the dust, the feather-like scales on the rest of her body glistening all the more, crystallizing as they dried. “And I’ll keep saying it until you get that takeoff down. Diving will do you no good if you get stuck in the water afterwards. What if I’m not there to help you back to shore?”

“You mean what if your _dolphin_ isn’t there to help. I don’t recall you doing any heavy lifting.” 

“Um, well fine then! I’ll make sure I tell Pearl to leave you to drown next time, okay?”

Minnie “hmphed” and wrung out her skirt while carefully eyeing the pouch in Daisy’s left hand. “Oh my goodness, Daisy!” she gasped suddenly, holding back a sly smile. “Is that Donald?”

“Where?!” Daisy practically shrieked. Face flooded with anticipation, she looked left and right. Minnie took the opportunity to try to grab the pouch but just as the cloth brushed her fingers Daisy whirled around and pulled it away, glaring bitterly. “Not funny,” she grumbled as Minnie snickered.

“Oh, come on,” Minnie pleaded. “Can’t you at least tell me what it is?”

Daisy responded with an indignant sniff. “These are for _motivation,_ Minnie. What kind of a friend would I be if I just gave you all sorts of gifts for no reason?”

“A good one?”

She ignored that comment and started fiddling with the pearl beads hanging from her crown. Behind her, transparent wings began to quiver and Minnie sighed, knowing all too well Daisy did that whenever she was thinking…usually of a way to get what she wanted. 

Right on cue, Daisy grinned mischievously. “Oh, I’ve got an idea!” 

Having already surrendered any sense of indignation for the recognition it would get her nowhere with her friend, Minnie simply blinked. “What do you want?”

“You have to get Donald to come with you tomorrow.” Eyelids fluttered as she spoke, echoing the _pretty please_ implied in her request. 

_Not this again._ Daisy had been pining after Minnie’s personal guard since the day he’d made the mistake of following the Swan to the shoreline, per her father’s orders. That was years ago and Daisy had never stopped talking about the “handsome knight” to whom her heart belonged. Donald and Minnie had barely known each other back then, but they’d since grown closer and he was now one of the few she could call a friend within the castle walls, often covering for her when she went on small adventures like this one. 

But as for his thoughts on Daisy? Minnie couldn’t get a read on that. Most of the time he just ran away, squawking profanities in light of Daisy’s “romantic” teasing. But she supposed looks could be deceiving. 

“What am I supposed to tell him this time?” Minnie sighed. 

“Oh, I don’t know, make up something about killer sharks stalking the shallows…oh! Or pirates! Terrible, bloodthirsty pirates, ready to hunt poor, defenseless princesses like yourself!”

“We’ve used both of those…several times.” 

Daisy flashed a conniving grin. “And yet he keeps coming.”

Minnie thought for a moment then shrugged. It was a fair point. “Okay, fine,” she conceded at last, shaking her head in exasperation as Daisy squealed. 

Just then, a regal melody trumpeted across the night. Minnie stood abruptly, eyes widened in panic. “Oh no, I forgot!”

“Forgot what?” Daisy asked, her celebratory demeanor temporarily put on pause.

“Father’s hosting a ball for some grand prince, he made me promise to be there.”

“Think he’s trying to set you up with someone again?”

Minnie smiled and laughed. “Oh, absolutely.” 

“Better hurry then!” Daisy giggled, shooing the mouse away. “I’m sure that prince can’t _wait_ to be told off!”

They waved to each other as Minnie took off soaring. Sailing back into the palace walls, she chuckled as she heard Daisy’s faint but adamant cry. “Don’t forget about tomorrow!”

_How could I?_

She really couldn’t. In fact, that was pretty much all she could think about as she sat in the ballroom that night, distractedly watching the partygoers dance and socialize with one another. Fingers tapping mindlessly, she tried to eavesdrop on a few conversations to keep herself interested but only found herself more bored than when she first began. To make matters worse, the prince himself hadn’t even shown, forcing the party to continue _much_ longer than first anticipated.

Minnie considered asking her father if they could cut the celebration short should they be left to wait much longer. After all, what kind of a prince would be so utterly disrespectful as to arrive so much later than advised? Though truth be told, the answer to that didn’t really matter to her. The princess doubted she’d fall for any prince the king had summoned, whether he was late or not. But she desperately needed an excuse to leave. If she didn’t get out of there soon, she was convinced she’d start wringing necks.

Okay, not really. But she wouldn’t be happy. 

However, the king’s throne, as per usual when it came to events like these, sat empty. Minnie sighed, wondering what he could be doing and why on earth she had to be there if he didn’t. Not that she knew much of anything about him anymore. Things were different now. When she was younger, he’d been kind and loving. He was always there for her and his subjects. But then…

Minnie shook her head. No sense in thinking about any of that now. Besides, so long as he was absent at least she could make plans to have a little fun.

“Psst, Donald,” she whispered, calling to the guard on her left. “Donaaald.”

The duck, who had up until now been standing at perfect attention, shot her a frustrated glance and returned to his former position, ruffling his coffee-colored plumage. Minnie pouted, his indignance only fueling her determination. “Donald!” she hissed. “Donald, it’s important. _Donald!_ ”

“WHAT???” he shouted suddenly, prompting nearly the entire ballroom to look his way. Noticing their glances, he quieted down and shuffled closer to Minnie’s throne, glowering at her satisfied grin. “What?” he growled through gritted teeth. 

Minnie’s urgency vanished and she pretended to study the jewelry on her wrist. “I need you to guard me when I go to the coast tomorrow.”

Donald was less than thrilled but Minnie was used to that. He wasn’t exactly the cheeriest person she knew but was kinder than he seemed, and she’d made it her mission to give him friendly little nudges here and there to force him out of his shell.

Donald frowned. “What do you need me for? You obviously went by yourself today.” He glanced to the sand scattered beneath her throne and Minnie couldn’t resist a small laugh. “Let me guess,” he grumbled. “Pirates?”

“Oh, horrible, terrifying ones!” Minnie batted her eyelashes and pouted innocently. “I barely got out of there alive!”

“Uh-huh. And this has nothing to do with that crazy mermaid?”

Firelight flickered on the mouse’s crown as she brought her hand to her chest and gasped, pretending to be terribly insulted. “Donald! Are you suggesting I’d _lie_ to you?”

“Ohhh nooo.” He narrowed his eyes and feigned sincerity. “You’d never do that.” 

She started to laugh but a shadow fell over the two of them, interrupting their banter. Minnie frowned, utter displeasure written across her face. It seemed even her one good distraction was about to end.

“Hello, Captain.” Her words were meant as less of a curt greeting than a warning for Donald. Minnie sat up straighter on her throne, all informality vanishing into thin air. There were few individuals the princess truly hated in the world as she knew it. Love, as her mother had once taught her, was the greatest strength one could possess and every person, no matter how horrible, was due a portion. Oh, but should one exception be allowed, Minnie assumed this man would be more than worthy of it. An oversized cat with wings of a sage grouse, Captain Pete’s pride was as large as his girth and Minnie loathed the way he treated his subordinates because of it. Minnie’s father seemed to trust him for some strange reason, but she couldn’t figure out why. His methods were questionable at best and compassion was a word alongside many others that Minnie doubted he even knew how to spell.

Meanwhile, Donald looked nervous enough to lay an egg.

“Why hello there, Your Royal Mouseness,” Pete chuckled, giving Minnie a bow she knew he didn’t mean. “Is this guard being problematicory?”

“No more than your grammar,” the mouse shot back, voice like sharpened daggers. The black fire in Pete’s eyes gave her satisfaction beyond compare, but she forced herself to keep a straight face. “As a matter of fact, Donald was just telling me how to protect against people who don’t have my best interests at heart. He’s very wise, you know. You’d do well to listen to him every now and then.” 

“Izzat so?” Pete’s face was frozen in a grimace that looked as though it could shatter any moment. “Well then, maybe he and I shoulds have a little chat…”

Royal fanfare erupted in the ballroom before either could say another word and Minnie smiled, winking at Donald who let out a relieved sigh. “Oh dear, I’m afraid it will have to wait,” she said sweetly. “It seems our special guest has arrived.”

Fury flashed across Pete’s face but, in a moment which Minnie found far more concerning, his anger quickly ebbed. “Of course, princess.” He bowed politely and spoke the following in an unsettling tone. “Enjoy your meeting with the prince!”

Minnie stood and narrowed her eyes, watching him carefully as he pushed back into the crowd. 

“Phew!” Donald sighed and wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Thanks, princess! Uh…princess?”

The mouse was still staring into the crowd, studying the chaos as the guests quickly parted ways for the incoming royalty. “Donald…I don’t care what orders you’re given,” she whispered. “Do not leave my side until this party is over. Understand?”

Minnie noticed a nervous ripple run across his feathers. The room had begun to quiet as the prince’s heralds approached the throne, so he gave her a slight nod as his answer and moved to stand at attention once more.

The prince’s court was different than any Minnie had seen. Clothed in deep grey robes of a material she didn’t recognize, they strode in unison across the ballroom floor and created a perfect path for the prince to travel. Every face was covered in a thick veil hanging from their helmets, keeping their expressions hidden as they kneeled for their ruler. To Minnie’s chagrin, the entire ballroom followed suit until she and the prince’s heralds were the only ones left standing. Though small, the princess held her head high, glaring with fixed determination at the tall figures approaching her. They stopped just in front of her, far closer than she would have preferred, and trumpeted once more.

“Introducing Prince Mortimer of Ravensbrook!” they announced, before kneeling along with the rest of the ballroom.

The prince himself strode in from the back of the ballroom and it took every bit of Minnie’s willpower not to cringe. Nothing about him matched the solemn regality of his entourage. If anything, the closest thing they had in common was the utter discomfort they brought with them…but even then, he was on another scale entirely. Everything screamed insanity, from the way he walked to the utter greed within his eyes locked on Minnie. Unlike his entourage there was no veil hanging from his crown, though Minnie desperately wished there was. The prideful grin scrawled across his face made her want to vomit. 

He sauntered up to Minnie’s throne and gave her a bow that hardly amounted to a casual nod. The princess wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face. However, she refused to stoop to such barbarity in his presence. By some miracle she managed a regal curtsy, but the prince had begun to speak even before she raised her head.

“Hi there, queenie! Minnie, right? Heh! Honor to meet me, I know.” Eyes widened throughout the crowd, his glaring disrespect prompting gasps from every corner. 

The princess blinked, suppressing a smirk. His confidence was nothing special—she saw it in nearly every prince who walked through those ballroom doors, each one so sure they could tame her. Ha! Just like the others, he wouldn’t last long. “Welcome, Your Highness,” she replied coldly. “I see your manners are as impeccable as your timing.”

Mortimer flung his hands up in the air and laughed. “And this ball’s about as good as a Plume with a broken wing. Seriously, what kind of a party is this? I expected more for the return of your _king._ ”

The disrespect was usual, but such an arrogant presumption was not. His words echoed on the marble walls and at least half of the guests stood in either anger or shock. The whispers were like a rising tide of rage and confusion.

_How dare he?_

_Who does he think he is?_

_What’s the princess going to do?_

_Where **is** the king?_

The princess’s quiet demeanor was shattered. A threat to her pride was one thing, but a threat on her father was another entirely. “Quiet!” Minnie shouted to them all. Beside her Donald tensed, hand on the hilt of his sword. “Listen to me closely,” the princess hissed to the man before her. “You are no different than any other self-important royal I’ve met before, and you will leave with nothing more than the achievement of being excused from my presence more quickly than the rest. Good night, Your Highness.” She turned on her heels and sat back down in her throne, sunset wings spread beside her in a display of authority, the silver constellation sprawled across her feathers shining more vibrantly than ever. 

He watched those stars with a strange intensity and Minnie, staring him down as her palace guards seized him by the arms, could have sworn she saw a flash of violet streak across his eyes. It vanished as soon as it had come but Mortimer’s wicked glare persisted. 

“So that’s how it’s gonna be, huh? I’d hoped you’d be more understanding, princess. Let’s try this again.” With a snap of his fingers, every flicker of orange firelight within the room vanished, replaced instead with haunting white flames that hardly illuminated the dark. 

Minnie drew in a sharp breath. Though no one dared speak of what had just flooded the marble hall, the very presence of it thrummed throughout every trembling soul.

_Dark Magic._

The guards holding him reeled back and drew their swords, as did nearly every other soldier within the ballroom. Donald, though trembling in fear, attempted to join in but Minnie held up a hand. This pompous prince had put on quite a display and she realized she’d been hasty in judging his harmlessness. Every piece of fur on her body stood on end as she watched now, waiting to see what he would dare to attempt next before bursting into action.

The answer was worse than she’d hoped for. 

His entourage, having been still as stone since they’d arrived, began to move. Like clockwork, they lifted their cloaked heads one by one and stood. Their movement was inhuman, almost ghostly, spindly crows’ wings unfolding behind them as they drew their swords in perfect synchronization.

Mortimer took another step towards Minnie, grinning with dastardly intent. Her guards glanced to her but she shook her head just slightly before lifting her eyes to face the prince. 

“Here’s what’s going to happen,” he whispered, gripping her chin with his hand and pulling her towards him. “So listen closely.” He released her with a rough thrust of his wrist and moved to stand before her father’s throne, lifting his voice so that the entire ballroom could hear him. “This throne and this kingdom belong to _me._ You all answer _to me_. Everything in this kingdom is _mine…”_ he glanced to Minnie again and smirked, lowering his voice. “…including you.”

The princess stood, fury blazing across her face. “You think that you can march in here with a few soldiers and take everything for yourself? This is still my father’s kingdom. They are still loyal to _him._ So what makes you think you have that right?” she growled. 

“I gave it to him.” Echoing from the balcony above came the gravely voice of Minnie’s father himself. Dismayed, she followed the looks of the rest of the ballroom to find him standing above them all. 

“Father? What-?!”

He ignored her cry and turned instead to the people. “A great danger lies before us!” he began, voice booming as it always had. But Minnie sensed something different too, a detachment in his words she had never heard before. “An ancient evil from days of old is preparing to strike once again…”

_This is madness! Something’s not right,_ Minnie thought frantically. Her gaze fell to the shadows to his right and she noticed a figure in the dark. Though nearly completely obscured, the silhouette she saw was unmistakable. 

_Pete._

Of course. Her father’s words dimmed in her ears, clouded by thoughts. Somehow that cat had to be behind this. Had he been working with the prince all along? But then, what could he have possibly said to her father to force him into making such a drastic decision? He wasn’t exactly eloquent.

She had a lingering feeling she wouldn’t get the chance to find out if she stayed. She needed to leave. Somehow. In the middle of a ballroom whose guests included a mad prince with magical powers, several dozen creepy soldiers, and a father who had somehow lost all sense entirely. 

The former king had begun to finish his speech and Minnie listened halfheartedly as he spoke, still attempting to think up a plan of action. “…therefore, to protect the fate of this kingdom, I have decided to bequeath my throne to Prince Mortimer. You are to listen to his every command as you have listened to mine. This kingdom will become his and my daughter…” Minnie’s attention was caught once again. “…will become his queen.”

An anger consumed Minnie like she had never felt before. It burned like fire, coursing through her veins as the ballroom looked her way. The plan no longer mattered. She was escaping this fate one way or another. 

“I will _NOT!”_ she screeched. Like most Plumes, Minnie had little magic and even less experience using it. But she used it now. Flinging out her wings, a powerful gust of wind burst across the room in a flash of light. Those within the court stumbled, granting Minnie the precious few seconds she needed to grab Donald’s hand and launch both of them into the air. “ _Fly!_ ” she hissed to the duck, who was so stunned he nearly forgot to spread his own wings. 

“But…but where-?!” he stammered just before Minnie grabbed the sword from his side, flying straight towards the transparent ceiling. 

“Get them!” the prince screeched from below, watching in outrage as Minnie flung the sword into the glass. Shards rained down on the crowd as the two Plumes escaped into the midnight air. 

Minnie winced as the falling glass cut through her skin, but she forced herself to ignore it and kept rising, straining her wings as much as she was able. “Are you okay, Donald?” 

“Are you CRAZY??!” He shouted back, managing to catch up. Both kept glancing over their shoulders, hearts pounding as the dark figures of Mortimer’s guard rose in a daunting flock to pursue the two escapees. And, to both of their horror, the rest of Minnie’s own guard appeared to follow. “WE’RE GONNA DIE!”

“Just keep flying!” the princess panted. “They’ve done something to my father, I just know it! We need to get help!” She flew to the east, soaring along the coastline in the hopes of spotting a friendly face who could help them escape. But, while there was no one to be found in the blue below, their pursuers were quickly closing the gap. Minnie and Donald were running out of time and options.

Before them, a daunting wall of fog writhed above the sea. Minnie knew this place—Dragon’s Breath was the name she and Daisy had come up with. The Betta had brought her there on rare occasions, usually when she wanted to show her something she’d discovered that they were _not_ supposed to know about. The ocean was filled with shipwrecks from the Dark War, most of which were forbidden to explore. But both Daisy and Minnie had been fascinated by the hints of the past lying within, and so had come here to escape prying eyes as they speculated about the old world. The mist never faded, and tall cliffs full of caverns, coves, and gorges served as the perfect place to lose any pursuer. Although she’d never tried to navigate it without Daisy as her guide, Minnie hoped her previous experience would be enough to get her and Donald through. 

“We’re going in _there_?” Donald looked at her with wild eyes.

“Well we don’t have much of a choice, now do we? Stay close and you’ll be fine.” With a final glance to their hunters, Minnie took a deep breath and let the mist consume her. An eerie silence fell over them almost instantly and only the faint silhouette beside her let her know Donald was still there. For several minutes everything was quiet. The dark shadow of the cliffs to their left hung over them and Minnie made sure to keep them close. Though it seemed the guards may have fallen behind, those rocks could be the only chance they had left to escape them if they returned.

“Are they gone?” Donald whispered, voice dampened by the fog. 

Minnie didn’t answer at first, tilting her head as she listened for any sign of the soldiers. “I think-“

She didn’t get to finish. A flurry of dark fire erupted from the mist behind them and it took everything Minnie had to maneuver around the flaming projectiles, wincing as one singed the fur on her face. She pulled her wings beside her and dove deeper into the fog, angling herself towards the cliff face in the hopes of finding a narrow gorge to escape into. “Donald!” she called, trusting he’d stayed beside her. But he didn’t answer and a jolt of terror struck Minnie’s heart. “Donald??” she cried louder, halting in midair as she frantically searched for any sign of her friend. But the only movement to catch her eye was that of the waves swelling below, and the rapidly approaching shadow of her nightmarish chasers. 

The worst seemed undeniable. 

Torn between fear and rage, her mind buzzed. Oh, she wanted to fight these monsters with every ounce of her being, and yet the small voice of reason somehow found its way into her thoughts. Stay now and she would fall too. Flee, and she might have a fighting chance when she returned. 

_Tell your prince he’ll pay for this,_ Minnie thought bitterly, a furious beat of her wings sending her soaring back through the mist. In only a moment she discovered a place where the rocks opened up just enough for her to slip through the gap, and she watched quietly as the dark figures flew past, oblivious to her presence. She sighed with relief and exhaustion, wingbeats faltering for just a moment as emotion overcame her. 

Minnie knew she couldn’t stop for long. Those soldiers…those _things_ did not seem quite so dull-witted as their master, and she doubted she’d be safe hiding here. So, pushing away her sadness and guilt as deep as she was able, she cast a final glance towards the raging sea and sent a desperate wish into the waters. Then, wiping a tear from her cheek, she turned and journeyed further into the ravine.

After several minutes of flying, the princess emerged from the cliffs and immediately took to a higher altitude. Beneath her, the grassy knolls of her kingdom swept past, giving way to a land she didn’t recognize. And in a rush of both elation and fear, she realized that with less than an hour of flight to her feathers, she was already journeying far beyond the reaches of any place she had yet traveled. 

The moon shone brightly, bathing the world in a bluish glow and beside it, twinkling in vibrant vigor, lay the same constellation which sat sprawled across Minnie’s own wings. Her father had once told her that it was a mark of strength, a sign that she would bring peace like never before to their kingdom. She never knew what he meant by that, but believed him nonetheless.

But now its flare reminded her of nothing more than his betrayal, and her own weakness. She didn’t want that mark anywhere near her. Bitterness welling within, she channeled the magic within her feathers and willed them to shift, erasing the stars and gaining another form entirely. The beating of her wings quieted, hushed by the owlish form they’d taken. Minnie knew it was no more than an illusion, and deep beneath the spell that mark still burned bright as ever. But at least for now it lay out of sight. 

As the silence enveloped her, so despair tried to do. But Minnie refused to let her thoughts overtake her. Refused to crumble beneath their weight. So she kept flying, wings aching as the hours passed and the stars turned on their endless course. Only when the pale pink of dawn began to filter into the sky did another danger present itself.

Fatigue.

The wicked tricks of that enemy often prove far more deadly than any other. For it comes not as an enemy, but a friend, a sweet song in the wake of exhaustion and heartache.

And she was fooled. 

_Land!_ The voice of reason screamed.

_Sleep…_ Fatigue beckoned.

The beating of her wings slowed.

One. She blinked rapidly, eyes heavier than she could bear. The recognition of danger pricked her mind and she knew, if only faintly, that she needed to rest.

Two. The bristled green of trees below caught her eye, becoming her only target. She willed herself to stay awake, battled with that enemy in disguise. Only, she failed to realize she was losing the battle.

Three. The world blurred until she could not distinguish land from sky. The ache of her wings vanished and her body numbed as sweet darkness crept across her vision.

The fourth beat never came. Eyes drifting shut as her body went limp, Minnie fell.

Branches cracked beneath the force of her impact, feathers torn from her wings as they absorbed the brunt of the fall. She hit the ground and her wing, left bending behind her, gave way with a sickening snap. 

As the sun crept above the trees, sleep now proved useful for but one thing--she could not feel the pain, nor fear, as her battered form was lifted and taken away. 


	3. Where the Wind Blows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A simple rescue sees a young mouse stumbling upon something he never expected to find. A spark of connection reignites a hope long forgotten.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~Vocabulary~
> 
> Clippers: Cruel bounty hunters who hunt Plumes with rare feathers to “clip” their wings and sell them to the highest bidder. The victim is usually killed, either just before or after the clipping, to keep from leaving any witnesses. As it is illegal, this practice is more common in the outskirts of the Swan Kingdom.
> 
> The Quill: A forested gorge that lies on the outskirts of the Swan Kingdom. Very few enter or venture near this place, as it is rumored to be haunted by terrifying spirits.
> 
> ~~

Restless winds were never a good sign. Especially in these parts, they often carried with them hints of fear and foreboding, lingering emotions of those fallen victim to the world’s more unforgiving inhabitants. But for that same reason they could also be useful. To the few who knew how to listen, those winds were as good as a cry for help.

Mickey pondered this in the back of his mind as he padded lightly through the forest. A dark cloak trailed behind him, whispering across the blanket of fallen leaves. But all was not so silent as it appeared. His ears twitched as a breeze swept through them and he knew at once that his suspicions were correct. 

He whistled once and clicked his tongue, watching with satisfaction as a small creature darted out of the trees. Flecks of light caught on the golden scales that lined its body, and two small wings kept it gliding through the air. It twirled about, yipping cheerfully before landing on Mickey who laughed and scratched beneath its chin. “Awe, hi there, Pluto!”

Flickers, the species of small, lizard-like creatures to whom this animal belonged, were rare, but Mickey had known Pluto for as long as he could remember. It was a good thing, too. The outskirts of the Swan Kingdom weren’t known for their pleasant company, especially not to those like Mickey, and Pluto seemed to the mouse a heaven-sent friend. 

But it didn’t keep Mickey from wishing things were different. At the very least, if he only had his wings…gosh, that would turn everything around. But he didn’t, and nothing could help that now. So he’d resolved to do what he assumed was the next best thing, and save others from a far worse fate. 

Which was just what he was doing now. 

“I’ve got a job for ya, boy,” he whispered to Pluto. “I think some poor fella’s trapped up ahead. Can ya help me find ‘em?” 

The Flicker nodded vigorously and leapt into the air. Mickey followed close behind, keeping a good distance behind the golden glow as it wove its way through the trees. The dusted scent of Aspen filled his nostrils, the trees’ foliage swaying high above and casting dappled specks of light on the forest floor. It was deceptively peaceful, a striking contrast from what the mouse was sure they would discover ahead. 

Brush and the overhead canopy densified the further they traveled, and sunlight largely disappeared until faint silhouettes of the nature around him were all Mickey could see. He tread carefully, a watchful eye on Pluto’s glow even as he pondered every step. The ones they were looking for could be close, and one misstep could end the whole operation.

Several minutes later, Pluto disappeared into the shadows and Mickey stopped, every muscle on alert, knowing that meant his ally had discovered what they came to find. Sure enough, a glimmer of luminescence remained, different from that of his friend. Firelight. It flashed and quivered in the darkness all around. Someone was close.

Mickey drew his cloak more closely around his body and listened. Faint, gruff voices filled his ears and he grimaced, recognizing them almost immediately. The Beagles—the group of Clippers he hated the most. Though not incredibly bright, they were careless…and ruthless…with their victims, and Mickey was never sure what he’d find. His tail whipped once behind him, as quiet a display of disgust as he could muster, before he continued forward. He sent up a silent prayer that he wasn’t too late.

“Oi! I’m telling ya, Clanker! Y’gotta clip the wings _after_ the killin’. Otherwise, there’s a right bit o’ squirmin’ and y’won’t get a clean cut!”

“And I’m tellin’ _you_ , mate! It’s not much fun if they don’t get t’watch!”

“We ain’t here for _fun!_ The boss’ll be a right bit miffed if we don’t sell these wings for a pretty penny-!”

Mickey choked backed bile as he listened to their conversation growing louder as he came close. He would never understand how they could argue over the “best” way to accomplish something so utterly horrible. But that was the way things were here. Few individuals in these parts had wings rare enough to fear becoming the Clippers’ captives, so few cared enough to stand against them. 

When their camp came into view, Mickey crouched beside a cluster of bushes and scanned the area. The two tallest Beagles—he knew them as Clanker and Bigshot by now—were the voices he had heard, and they argued with one another in the center of the clearing. A rather large metal cage sat beside them, flashing silver in the light of lantern flames. It was empty, so Mickey looked elsewhere for what he sought.

He found it at the left corner of the camp where the smallest of the Beagles, Shorty, cackled over every twisted possibility his brothers discussed. But Mickey had no interest in the criminal’s cruel sense of humor. Rather, his intrique lay in the tree just beside him, where a small figure stood bound against the bark. Her body was slumped, head hanging forward against her chest. A tattered dress drifted about her heels in the faint breeze, but for several seconds, that was the only movement Mickey could see. So small and few were the girl’s breaths that they were near impossible to spot and Mickey feared for one horrible moment he might be too late.

But then she stirred, an unkept tuft of black fur swaying gently across her forehead as she lifted her chin. Her eyes blinked open and Mickey froze, finding himself staring right at them. He gulped. Did she see him?

The girl blinked twice, as if waking from a dream, then flinched, gaze still locked on his. Quickly, Mickey brought a finger to his lips. _Quiet,_ he urged her silently, and felt a peculiar warmth creep across his cheeks as her stare softened and hope replaced the fear in her tired eyes. He flashed her an awkward smile that he hoped looked encouraging enough then ducked beneath the bushes, shaking his head to clear any stray thoughts away.

His attention turned to the Clippers, still arguing vehemently about which cruel tactic for clipping wings was better. It was a conversation Mickey was more than willing to interrupt. With a snap of his fingers, the firelight vanished, swept away in a hushed river of wind. The Beagles went silent just as quickly.

“Oi…what do you reckon that was?” one of them hissed. 

Shortstop could be heard rustling over to them. “Maybe it was s-spooks!” he stammered. His voice sounded something akin to a broken saxophone. A loud grunt sounded soon after he spoke, followed by the distinct sound of someone tripping over their own feet and falling on their face in the dark.

“SPOOKS?!” the other two shouted at once before angrily shushing one another and sparking an entirely new argument over whose fault it was they’d set up camp so close to the Quill…again. Mickey was fairly certain a fist fight might have broken out, had there been enough light for them to see one another.

He stepped out from behind the bushes, making hardly a sound as he crept towards the bumbling trio. The mouse couldn’t see in this darkness either, but he didn’t need to. The same winds that had carried the whispers of this captive murmured softly to him now. They were his eyes, a gentle guide he could sense beside him. Truthfully, he had no clue where, how, or why he had come to know them so well. He simply did, and he’d learned over time not to question a good thing—it wasn’t often one came around to someone like him.

He came up behind the Beagles and, before he knew it, found himself face to face with Shorty who was only just beginning to pick himself up off the ground. The Beagle took one look, gulped when he saw Mickey’s silhouetted figure and the sly smile beneath, and froze. 

All the mouse had to do was utter a single word. 

“ _Boo._ ”

“G-g-ghost!” Shorty screamed, and the other two nearly jumped out of their skins, all pretense of bravery vanishing in an instant as they fumbled over themselves to escape. Mickey easily took advantage of the chaos, summoning yet another ribbon of wind to bend the branches of the trees and adding just a touch of illusion magic to the air to sell the trick. Sure enough, faux moonlight fell through the boughs and cast haunting shadows that, to the Beagles, looked far too much like creeping hands encroaching upon them. They fell against each other in a trembling heap and Mickey, grinning all the while, stepped through the mist as a menacing silhouette, his cloaked form seemingly lengthened by the clash of light and dark. He lifted a finger and pointed elsewhere, granting them a message clear as the fear on their faces.

_Leave._

That was all it took and the Beagles bolted. Had their tails been long enough, they would have certainly been tucked between their legs as they ran, hollering fearfully as they disappeared into the wood and left their camp behind. 

Mickey watched as they vanished, then snickered, lifting his hood off his ears and letting it fall behind him. He knew the trio well enough by now to know they wouldn’t be coming back. And so, the eerie threads of illusion he’d conjured dissipated, and with a snap of his fingers a small flame lit within the palm of his hands. He tossed it into the air and it hovered in the center of the clearing, casting a warm light about the trees.

“Hey,” he whispered softly as he approached the girl and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. Weak and exhausted, her drowsiness had overcome her. But she now flinched, eyes flying open at his touch and darting to every corner of the clearing, unsure of what had become of her captors. Mickey only smiled. “It’s all right, they’re gone! I’m gonna getcha outta here, k? Cross my heart.”

Her eyes widened, deep midnight pools, and her lips opened and closed with uncertainty before she managed a slight nod and murmured the words, “ _Thank you…”_

Mickey drew a chiseled dagger from his cloak and set to severing her bonds. It wasn’t the hardest task, nor the longest (the Beagles had been convinced their hiding place was perfect, and so hadn’t bothered to secure their victim with any more than a few old ropes), and within seconds Mickey had cut through it all. The ropes fell away and Mickey offered a hand to steady the girl as she took her first steps of freedom. 

“Oh-!” Her legs gave out beneath her and Mickey just managed to catch her before she hit the ground. “I’m so sorry!..” she breathed as he lifted her. And here, as he looked up to assure her an apology wasn’t necessary, Mickey got his first real look at the girl. 

Her cheeks were currently a fiery red, and both frustration and embarrassment glittered in her eyes. And what eyes…Mickey felt his own cheeks reddening as he looked into them. There were fear and pain deep within, yes, but also a determination unlike any he had seen. Gentle wind rustled her midnight black fur, flecked with gold, about her face. This only heightened the intensity of her stare, and Mickey, though her tried, couldn’t seem to look away. “Uhm…” He swallowed, blinking several times in an attempt to remember exactly what it was he was doing. “It’s…you’re…you’re fine!” he finally managed to spit out, then cleared his throat. There was something else about her, something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. But as she gently lifted her hand from his, he felt a spark depart that he hadn’t noticed before. And he realized.

He swallowed a gasp and took a step back. “You…you have magic.”

All at once her demeanor changed. Fallen leaves stirred beneath her feet as she rapidly stepped away from him, hardly able to keep herself from falling once again. Her breaths quickened and fiery defensiveness flashed across her face, though she winced with every movement. “How would _you_ know that?” Her fingers brushed against a fallen branch and she gripped it tightly. 

Mickey smiled, heart bursting with giddy excitement. “’Cause…well, ‘cause I’m like you!” he laughed, summoning a thread of bluish light that glittered and swirled about his fingertips.

The girl’s grip on her makeshift weapon softened and she let out a quiet breath. Mickey hoped she didn’t spot him blush as she leaned in to take a closer look, feathering her hand through the stream. The way she studied each wave, each and every flicker and curl of the thread, revealed to him she knew very little of the power she possessed. He was wondering why when he realized, at just about the same time she did, that in her fascination the girl’s fingers had found themselves pressed up against Mickey’s.

Mickey drew in a sharp breath, and swore his face turned red as a rose. But the girl’s own hesitation had vanished, and she calmly looked him in the eye, curling her hand around his. There was a sparkle in her stare, as if she recognized his nervousness and yet took it in stride. “I never thought magic could be so beautiful,” she murmured softly. “My name is Minnie…thank you for saving me.”

“G-gosh, it was nothin.” Nervous, Mickey pulled back his hand and scratched behind his ears. He was sure his face was about to melt off from the heat building within it. “I’m…I’m Mickey.”

Minnie giggled just slightly at this and opened her mouth to say something but drew back almost instantly, falling to her knees as pain flashed across her face. It was then, as she keeled over and Mickey leapt to her aid, that he realized she was in worse shape than he thought. The injuries on her body were bad enough, but nothing compared to that of her wings. Mickey could just barely make out the patterns and shades of a Tyto, but they were nearly to bloodied and torn to tell. The one to her right hung at an awkward angle, and both were tattered beyond belief. Kneeling beside her, Mickey kicked himself for having been too distracted to notice before. 

“Pluto!” he shouted above Minnie’s short cries and whimpers, and the Flicker burst from the trees after only a few moments. His scales shone sharply, a reflection of the apprehension he sensed in his master’s voice.

“I’m gonna help, okay?” Mickey grasped Minnie’s hand once more and she nodded softly, breaths coming in ragged gasps as she tried to cope with the pain. He squeezed her palm, lending her a hint of his own strength to help ease her suffering, and winced as he felt it leave his body. But it was more than worth it. Her breathing steadied enough for her to glance at him, uttering yet another soft “thank you” before giving way to this brief moment of relief and falling unconscious into his arms.

“Guide us back, Pluto!”

The forest seemed to Mickey much darker than before as he ran through it, casting anxious glances at Minnie’s sleeping face every other second or so. She let out a soft whimper every now and then, each one worrying Mickey beyond belief, and too many times he found himself nearly tripping over twigs or stones scattered on the forest floor as his attention was divided between the motion of his feet and the concern in his chest. A fierce desire to protect this girl at all costs lay within his heart and mind. He hardly dared to believe it, but he sensed magic within her whose strength rivaled that of his own, and he couldn’t help but wonder if this hinted at something more.

_Maybe I’m not the last one…_

The thought vanished as soon as it had come. No, he wouldn’t let himself hope for that quite yet. It was too great a wish to bear should it be untrue.

But still, she was different than anyone he’d met before. The hardened, loveless eyes he’d grown so used to seeing here simply did not exist upon her face. When she looked at him, it was with kindness and gratitude. When she smiled, it was with joy, not pride or contempt. Even amongst pain, she maintained a strength. Even among fear, she let herself trust in him.

No one had ever done that before.

And so when the forest became familiar and he realized he was close, a sense of relief washed over him. A wall of fog approached, and Pluto circled back around to land on Mickey’s shoulder, knowing his master was well-acquainted with the world beyond. Sure enough, the mouse slowed his pace and stepped through. The world shuddered and a pulse of magic swept across the land. All of a sudden, though the fog gathered behind him to keep the outside world from view, the forest before his eyes shone clear as day.

_Home._

Mickey let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding and gently whispered as the girl stirred in his arms.

“Welcome to the Quill.”


	4. Strange Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minnie wakes and meets her rescuer, and witnesses true magic for the first time.

Water had always calmed Minnie. The sound of it at least, as it had been the sound of home for as long as she could remember. Crashing waves and summer storms were the very songs of her childhood. And so, as dreams faded into nothing and she began to come to, it hardly seemed out of place to wake to water’s familiar rush. It was more than welcome, actually, as her dreams had not exactly been pleasant ones and the assurance they had been just that—dreams—was something she desperately needed.

Although they weren’t _all_ bad, she thought as her mind drifted to the end of the nightmare. The memory was fuzzy, but some things stuck. Like the one behind the deep blue eyes…the one who had come to rescue her. He’d have been worth going back to. Mickey, wasn’t it?

Minnie smiled and softly sighed, then moved to draw her wing over her eyes to block out the impending sun, actually hoping the nightmare might come back just so she could see it through to the end.

But then a very real pain shot through her shoulder blade and she yelped, abruptly rising from her pillow. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, as if it might somehow ease the pain, and grit her teeth. The memories began to return, as did the realization that she was _not_ home and likely never would be again. 

Someone lay a hand on her wing and she yelped again, pulling away. She knew she could expect a reprimand from her captors for that and braced herself for the sting. 

But it never came.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s okay!” came the voice, and Minnie’s heart fluttered as it had in her dream. Although, now it seemed she didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t. So she dared to open her eyes, kicking herself for even hoping it could be true.

Oh, but then it was.

Those same blue eyes stared back at her, wide and apologetic, and Minnie concluded she must have succeeded in falling back asleep. For surely no one could really make her face flush so deeply, or cause her chest to tighten so. And yet…

She stared for a moment, breaths slowing in a wonderstruck rush.

“You’re…” _You’re real,_ were the words that almost escaped her lips. But she thought that would sound much too silly and so stopped herself from finishing the sentence. Instead, the mouse glanced down at her lap and cleared her throat. The sleepy haze clouding her mind had begun to fade and the memories of what transpired became clear. “... _You’re_ the one who saved me.” 

When she looked back at him he sat up abruptly. “Y-yeah…” he answered, beginning to busy himself with washing several rags at her bedside. “But don’t worry! Ah’ll get yer wings all fixed up for ya, and then y’can be on yer way.”

Minnie had begun to look about her surroundings when he spoke, realizing with a bit of a shock that they were in a large cavern. Looking to her right, she saw sunlight glistening through a waterfall at the mouth of the cave, the source of the oceanlike sound she’d heard when she woke. It cast bright rainbows on the stone floor and Minnie had become so transfixed by them that she hardly heard what the other mouse had said.

_Don’t worry. I’ll get your wings fixed up…then you can be on your way._

The words played themselves back in her mind and it suddenly registered that he had taken her last remark for disappointment. “Oh, dear, I…I didn’t mean-!”

“Oh gosh, don’t worry yerself!” he chuckled. “I’m used to it, honest. I’m not exactly a ‘knight in shining armor’ y’know?”

 _No, I don’t know…_ was what she came close to saying before biting her tongue…again. And before she could think of something else he came back over to her, bandages in hand.

“I was re-wrapping your wings before y’woke up. Okay if I finish?”

She nodded lightly, kicking herself for having unwittingly insulted her savior within the first five minutes of speaking to him. “Yes, thank you,” she half-whispered, wincing as he helped fold her crooked wing closed. But even with the pain his gentle touch held a comfort to it, and she couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh as he brushed his hand across her feathers. She thought she caught him smile a bit at that but couldn’t be sure.

“So…“ he started as he began to wrap the fabric around her wing. “What’d you do t’those Clippers to get yer wings so banged up? They’re usually pretty careful to leave ‘em be until…well, uh…y’know…”

She did know what he meant by that, but tried not to think about it too much. “Actually,” she blushed. “That was my fault. I was flying for too long and I got tired, so I…I fell. That’s how they found me.”

He moved to the other wing. “Gosh, must’ve been some trip. Whoever y’were headin’ to must be real worried by now.”

“I…I wasn’t exactly flying to anyone.”

“Oh?” His response was nonchalant at first, but then Minnie felt him freeze and heard a tiny breath escape his mouth. “Oh…” For several moments, the gentle rush of the waterfall was all that filled the room, before he uttered a quiet query. “What happened? I-if ya don’t mind me askin’, I mean.”

Minnie glanced at him from the corner of her eye. There were a good deal of reasons for her to keep quiet, all things considered. She hardly knew him, for one. And for another, he…well, he…

To be honest, maybe that was the only real reason. In the short time she’d known him, he had not only saved her life, but had nursed her back to health for…well, she wasn’t sure how long. Surely that warranted some kind of explanation.

“I was betrayed,” Minnie murmured after a moment’s hesitation. “Someone I trusted turned me over to a terrible man and…” She took a deep breath, the memories of that night flooding back. In the short time since then she had been so distracted with mere survival that she had not even begun, nor dared, to look back. But she did now. And her thoughts overcame her. Tears welled in her eyes as she thought of the dark turn that night had taken—the unearthly creatures and their wicked king. And then she remembered those she’d left behind and the guilt of it all was nearly too much to bear. As she continued, her voice became scattered and choked, a messy jumble of words driven more by emotion than logic. “…maybe I should have stayed!” It began as a whisper, but soon grew into a frantic fit of histerics. “Maybe I should have done what he asked, and everyone would be okay! But I didn’t know what to do, so I _ran._ I ran and I left them all behind and I can’t…I can’t…” Tears soaked her fur as she buried her face in her hands.

She felt a soft touch at her cheek. “Hey, _hey_ ,” Mickey breathed, swiftly kneeling beside her, and she forced herself to look up at him. Everything she’d ever known told her he should be disgusted by such a sudden display of raw emotion. It was unruly, unflattering, and unladylike, and she braced herself for the look of scorn she would undoubtedly receive. But that was not what she saw when she looked his way. Nothing but kindness and genuine concern lay written across his face. “It’s not your fault. I mean, gosh, if you hadn’t run, the only thing that would’ve changed is that you’d be there ‘stead of here. And somethin’ tells me that…well, that would’ve been a whole lot worse. Ya did the right thing.”

Without a doubt, his intentions had been to dispel her sadness--and that he did, though perhaps not how he expected to do so. Minnie did stop crying, but it was largely because her sorrow was replaced by bewilderment, a breathless confusion at his treatment of her. His words were simple enough and spoken by anyone else, in any other fashion, they’d have been meaningless, but the _way_ he spoke them made all the difference. As if he had earned the right to say them and mean it. 

She was staring again but found herself quite unable to stop.

“Sorry, did I say somethin’ wrong?”

“Hm?..Oh!” Minnie sniffed and shook her head, blushing thoroughly. “N-no, you’re perfect. I mean, _it! It_ was perfect! What you…what you...said…” She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand, imagining how horrible her tear-streaked fur must look. If her wings hadn’t been bandage-bound, she would have been hiding behind them. But they were, and she was instead forced to watch his reaction to her own idiocy. He chuckled lightly, seeming a bit confused himself, and Minnie wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor.

_Great, he thinks I’m crazy._

Though if that were true, he did nothing more to show it. He only stood, grinned the grin that continued to set her cheeks ablaze, and held out his hand. “Y’know what?” he winked. “Y’haven’t seen the sun in just shy of a week. You’ll feel better if y’get outside for a bit. Come on, I’ll help ya around.”

Minnie thought to argue, hating to assume any more help than he’d already given, or risk embarrassing herself further. But the sunlight glittered from beyond the cavern’s mouth and she couldn’t help but be tempted by its shine. Nor from the peculiar curiosity that had snuck into her mind, at how he might look in the light.

“That…” she bit her lip, undecided. “…that sounds lovely,” she replied at last, placing her hand in his. “Thank you.”

It was with a gentle yet firm grip that he helped her to her feet, though she wavered even so. But it felt good to stand and she found her balance shortly, the cool air of the cavern rushing through her fur. That restored to her some semblance of energy at least.

“You okay?”

She drew in a deep breath and forced a smile as he led her to the cavern’s mouth. “I will be.”

The waterfall parted at his touch, as gracefully as a curtain divides upon its stage, revealing a world unlike Minnie had ever seen. To be fair, she had been restricted to castle grounds for as long as she could remember and hadn’t seen much else, but she imagined very little could compare to the sights that lay before her. 

The cavern rested within a deep gorge, shrouded entirely in a blanket of green. Whether it was moss or foliage, there was hardly an inch of the place that wasn’t coated in emerald. The sound of water was ever-present, dripping from the waterfall into the pool before them. Mist threaded its way across the stone and rushing river beyond.

“Come on, follow me.”

Minnie blinked when she heard Mickey, clearing her mind of the astonishment as best she could in order to look his way. He was grinning, holding out his hand for her to take it. And she nearly did, until her thoughts cleared and she realized just where he stood.

She gasped and reeled back, eyes wide. There was nothing but water below his feet. Or…maybe not quite. The closer she looked and the longer she stared, the more she began to see a feint veil of shimmering…something…beneath him. Like a platform of some kind, but one that was nearly invisible, revealed only by the faint droplets of water that splashed upon it. Still, she was wary.

He noticed her hesitation and only smiled wider. “Hey, it’s okay, I promise it’s safe.”

“But…but how?” she stammered, beginning to reach out her own hand. She could not understand why she trusted him so deeply after so little time.

His fingers brushed hers and a sparkle lit in his eyes as he took half a step towards her. She felt numb and content and altogether dumbfounded at how quickly this boy had put her under his spell. It was ridiculous. Unwise. Silly and ubsurd. And yet her heartbeat quickened…though she would never admit what she expected, and perhaps even hoped for, when he leaned in. 

Well, she didn’t _get_ what she expected. But rather, a single word. Hushed, but bursting with all the energy of a long-kept secret only just revealed. The answer to the question she’d already forgotten she’d asked.

“ _Magic…”_

Minnie, foolishly standing with eyes closed, hardly had time to open them before Mickey stepped back…and pulled her with him. She yelped, fully expecting to plunge face-first into the water, and the blush upon her cheeks was quickly replaced with a ghostly white.

“H-hey!” she shouted.

But solid ground met her feet. 

She stood there for several seconds, wide-eyed and panting as she slowly took this in. Then came a glance at Mickey. Then a glance back at her feet, seemingly hovering above open water. A curious look again at the mouse. Then a wonderstruck grin, slowly creeping across her face.

“I won’t let ya fall,” Mickey assured her, though visibly amused by her astonishment. “I promise.”

Step by step, she slowly gained confidence in that promise. For as they moved past the pool and above the rushing water, their steps building speed as they moved over each billowed rapid, Minnie could feel her heart bursting with a freedom unlike any other. The ache in her muscles disappeared, and she raced ahead of her partner without so much as a second thought. It was almost like flying, but she had to admit that this gave her something flying did not. For so close to the ground, legs stretching out over each and every ripple and wave, there was a sense of control so lacking in the air, where the currents were ever fighting her feathers.

From behind her, she heard Mickey shout something, and looked over her shoulder. That wasn’t the best idea. For she looked back in front of her just a bit too late, to find herself on the brink of another waterfall, far bigger than the one over Mickey’s cavern. And it was here that she discovered just how different Mickey’s spell truly was from flying. For though it let her easily leap across the water, it seemed to pay no mind to open air. Her heart jumped into her throat and with a scream, she felt the platform beneath her feet vanish. 

“Hold on!” she heard Mickey call, though she was too busy plummeting to know where he was. But then, strangely, the waterfall beside her appeared to slow. She thought it at first to be a trick of her eyes as she fell, but then in an inexplicable rush, its waters partered like great tentacles and reached for _her._ The moment they slipped behind her back they froze solid, and Minnie realized with a great deal of relief that she was no longer falling. Hardly knowing what to do from here, she layed still for a few moments, panting as she looked up at the place she had fallen from. A great ribbon of ice, once the waterfall she had so easily ignored, now stretched before her eyes and held her suspended in the air. 

Suddenly, a small figure appeared from the top of the cliff and swiftly leapt onto the ice, sliding down to meet Minnie with a surprising amount of grace. Panic lay sprawled across his face. “When I said I’d catch you, I didn’t think you’d _try_ to fall!” he gasped.

Minnie was so stunned by all that had happened in the past few minutes that she must have had no more room for fear. “Well, I had to test you _somehow_.” she said, grinning mischievously. 

He looked at her with such a look of shock and confusion at that, that she assumed he was considering just letting her fall anyway. 

“…you, uh, you passed,” she added then, as if that might change his mind.

Mickey shook his head, still seemingly caught in a state of disbelief at her remarks. But then he began to chuckle. “I’ve never met anyone like you, ya know that?” he laughed. “But come on, we better go. Ice isn’t really my specialty.” 

Sure enough, the ice holding them both had begun to creak as if ready to give way at any moment. “Hold on tight!” Mickey called to Minnie, and she watched as he crouched, both of his hands reached out before him. Swiftly, he brought them out to the side and the ice surrounding them dissolved once again into water. Only their platform remained, and as Mickey drew his hands through the air, the water moved and twisted upwards until they were once again at the top of the cliff. Only this time, they were dropped on the rocky shore rather than over the water itself.

As soon as they were on solid ground, Mickey dropped his hands and let out a large and shaky breath, panting for air. The water fell back into place, and the roar of the waterfall continued once again. All the while Minnie watched, wide-eyed and breathless, then turned to her exhausted partner and uttered something that caught his breath. 

“…teach me…”


End file.
